12th March, 2012
The Lagos State Police Command Special Anti-Robbery Squad, SARS, has arrested three suspected cultists, Olumide Akande, 32, Afolabi Tunde, 27 and Sani Akin Olugbade.
Narrating how the suspects were arrested, a SARS source told P.M.NEWS that the squad received information that five armed robbers were operating in an area in Ogudu, Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, southwest Nigeria, and went there.
The SARS operatives met one of the suspects who had already scaled the fence of the building where they were operating. They had tied the two security guards attached to the residence.
When the suspects sighted policemen from SARS and Ogudu Station, they reportedly jumped over the fence in a bid to escape.
Luck ran out on one of them, Sani Akin-Olugbade and he was arrested. He later led the police to the houses of his accomplices where they were arrested.
Police sources told our correspondents that the suspects confessed to the crime and also disclosed that they were cultists.
One of the suspects, Olumide Akande denied being a cultist or an armed robber. He described himself as a plumber who never had the opportunity of tertiary education.
He admitted knowing Akin-Olugbade, adding that he was arrested at his residence, 79, Alhaji Abbass Street, Ogudu in the presence of his wife.
Another suspect, Afolabi Kunle, desscribed himself as a painter who resides at 12, Alhaja Eleshin Street, Ogudu.
He said Akin-Olugbade was his friend and that he lied against him.
“We used to drink and relax together in a joint after each day’s work. But I did not know he was a thief. I have never robbed before. Truly, I smoke Indian hemp but I don’t go out with any gang,” Afolabi said.
The prime suspect, Akin-Olugbade, a 300-Level Political Science dropout of Adekunle Ajasin University, AAU, Akungba-Akoko, was a member of a cult group, Vikers Confraternity.
He said he went into crime because many of his colleagues in the university were working in banks and he loved success too.
The SARS source confirmed that the suspects would be arraigned in court soon as investigations into the robbery had been completed.
—Ayodeji Dedeigbo & Bello Oluwakemi